Top of the Mantle
by ZedtheUndeadTed
Summary: In another universe, in another time, humanity faces total annihilation at the hands of an unstoppable alien threat. Colonies razed, populations slaughtered, entire worlds burned to ashes and glass. Yet hope perseveres. In one of their darkest hours, a Harbinger of Salvation comes, from another universe, from another time, shepherding a peculiar flock.
1. Prologue

**Top of the Mantle**

 **PROLOGUE**

 **Deep Within the Citadel**

Eternal, infinite, immortal. Sapphire data streams coalesced around her like winding strands of mercury, an ephemeral composition of ones and zeros. Her shape was now made up of that sea of celestial binary, a ghostly echo of her tangible being. She was Shepard but not Shepard, she was human but not human. Infinity stretched out before her, a yawning chasm with no end. Darkness and light interchanged, lines of code running down her face like numerical tears. For the moment the Milky Way was safe, galactic civilization was safe, her species was safe, Liara was safe, yet there was still so much left to do.

A sphere of data floated between the palms of her hands like an offering and she stared into it like a cyber-spiritual medium. She felt them, the Ascended, the dreaded harvester capital ships, those she had once labeled Reapers. They were part of her now as much as she was a part of them. She saw them for what they were. Each one a people, each one a nation. Their memories broiled within her, the phantom dreams of billions of ascended species. The memories of the Arthenn within the Ascended who called itself Omen. The dreams of the Inusannon within the Ascended designated Suzerain. The aspirations of the Leviathan within the very first Ascended, the one who labeled itself Harbinger. There were thousands more and she saw, felt, and accepted them all in the time-span it would take her human self to blink.

"There is so much left to do," she whispered. "And so little time..."

She could make the galaxy right, she could make the organic civilizations of her cycle bend to her will, but it was not her place to do so. It never was. Within the gestalt of the memories of countless Ascended, Lt. Commander Jane Shepard's being and self shone through. She was a shepherd, not a ruler. She was a guardian, not an empress. She would help the civilizations of her cycle build anew. She would give them technologies her human self boggled to fathom. The technology to build Mass Relays, to build stations as sprawling as the Citadel, the power to destroy the stars themselves. As much as Jane Shepard the soldier hated such weapons of finality, she recognized that her cycle would need them in the future that rushed to consume them. She remembered the words of Ascended Destroyer Unit 989,010, who met its end at her former self's hand on the fields of Rannoch.

" _You know not of the struggle,"_ it had said to her. _"The thing we fight…. No, the thing we hope to survive in our desperation is not something your mind could ever fathom. They are a blight upon the fabric of the universe, a parasite that seeks the total annihilation of all, the culmination of the sins of organic gods from beyond this plain of existence. They represent chaos. We represent order. For there to be balance within this universe, we must bring order to the chaos so that it may never return. The Cycle is our time tested paradigm. It keeps the parasite at bay, from gaining a foothold, and in your foolishness you risk destroying the entirety of our universe. All remaining spacefaring civilizations must be harvested to continue the balance!"_

Shepard the human refused to understand, the Destroyers words were but the ramblings of a mechanized eldritch thing, and so, she blocked it out. But now she understood. As powerful as she and the Ascended were, as powerful as her galaxy could become, they were still no match for the parasite from beyond the stars. The power to destroy planets, the power to destroy entire star systems, paled in comparison to the enemy they faced. The creators of the form she now held wielded such abilities on a much more devastating scale, and yet they were gone. Consumed by the parasite.

She recognized that she and this secondary universe was not only an attempt to preserve life, but also an experiment to test the capabilities of the physics bending element found only on this plain of existence, the substance called Element Zero. At its most basic, the element was capable of repelling lower parasitic forms if used correctly. Even gods had their weaknesses, she mused, but it was still nowhere near enough. Aside from the ability to wield dark energy, compared to her Creators at the height of their power, this universes technological achievements were pale.

They needed to get back, back to their universe of origin. Her former self's species were the Reclaimers, the upholders of the Mantle. But they were only one half of a singular whole. If they were to bring balance to the very fabric of the universe itself, then they had to become whole once more. They must bring order to the chaos.


	2. Westerlund News

_AL-JILANI INVESTIGATES: REAPERS- PACIFIED SERVENTS OR SYNTHETIC OVERLORDS? THE FEARS OF AN INCREASINGLY A.I DRIVEN GALACTIC SOCIETY_

 **Aired October 31, 2188 CE (2 years post Reaper War)**

Al-Jilani sits infront of the camera drone, broadcasting across the extranet, dark eyes tired yet brimming with a defiant flame, hands clasped on a news studio desk glowing with haptics. Her signature short black hair and traditional lavender long dress was immaculate as ever despite the worn lines of her face. She gave a soft sigh, closed her eyes for several seconds, then began.

"October 31st. Billions across the Milky Way remember this day as the official end of the Reaper War; the firing of the Crucible and its subsequent pacification of the Reaper threat. With millions dead and property damage estimates numbering in the quintillions across multiple worlds, the Reaper War has left a scar that is sure to last decades, perhaps even centuries to come. I would have liked to both lament and celebrate this day with the ones I love and cherish most, but I received a once in a lifetime interview opportunity and you all know me: I took it."

Al-Jilani took a breath and continued.

"The scar that was left in the aftermath of this conflict is a festering one. The construction and firing of the Crucible promised the complete eradication of the Reaper war machine, an end to the nightmare. The galaxy at large is already well aware of the fact that this is not what exactly transpired those two years ago. Yes, the Crucible was fired. Yes, the Reapers were halted in their genocidal rampage. No….they were not destroyed."

The fire in her eyes threatened to spill over and engulf her expression in a rictus of indignant rage but she kept her brow and mouth professionally neutral.

"We have been told by the Citadel Council and multiple government bodies that the Reapers are completely under control and pacified, the urge to commit unspeakable atrocities upon organic races ripped from them by the Crucible and replaced with a need to build and guard and protect. I am sure that I do not need to re-voice my opinions on the matter yet again, but for clarity's sake, I will."

Al-Jilani set her jaw. "Every person of every species lost something to this war. Everyone. The Reapers were methodical and insidious in their means. Their weapons, their tactics, all designed to induce fear and a sense of hopelessness. The sounds of their klaxons, indeed their very presence, enough to indoctrinate organics to their cause and turn brother against brother, sister against sister, parent against child. We as a galactic community have survived through this horror. Oh, but not to worry though my precious viewers, the Reapers are as safe as any house hold appliance and we have been told by officials that the Crucible," she stopped mid-sentence and gave sarcastic chuckle. "The Crucible has 'disabled' the Reapers' ability to indoctrinate."

"I am not an unreasonable woman. Species that have committed acts of terror and sought cultural domination over the Citadel in the past, the Rachni, the Krogan, the Batarians, are now officially part of our galactic community and despite what they have done in the past, I wholeheartedly accept them as friends and allies for they have fought and bled right beside us. However, I do not accept the Reapers, I do not accept the Geth, I will not open my arms to the murderous machines responsible for the senseless death and destruction that our galaxy has bare witness too. But you all already know this and I am beating a dead horse."

Al-Jilani smiled wryly.

"I would like to introduce Dr. Liara T'Soni: Prothean Archaeologist, former Normandy science information officer, Star of Terra, Palaven, Sur'kesh, and Thessia award holder, newly appointed Asari Vice-Councilor and one of the many minds behind the Crucible's construction. Thank you for joining us this night."

The camera panned out, revealing a striking Asari right of Al-Jilani. Dr. T'Soni gave a gentle smile, cerulean eyes glowing with warmth. Like all Asari, she was completely hairless, scaled yet soft skin a light shade of sea blue, her mollusk like head crest giving the impression of a woman's hair swept back by a raging surf. She was garbed in yellow; the ends of her head shawl hanging past vestigial gill slats, shear sleeved dress gown conforming to the curves of her body. She sat with back straight, legs crossed, hands folded in her lap; an Asari maiden with a regality rivaling that of any matriarch.

"Thank you for having me Ms. Al-Jilani, I'm glad that I could be here."

"I think that I speak for my viewers and I both when I say that we are very ecstatic that you could take time off your busy schedule to conduct this interview. Truthful information regarding the tamed Reaper forces and the Geth have been less than forth coming from Citadel officials."

"It is no problem at all. I understand the worries of the galactic community all too well and I hope that I can answer some of the many questions that have been floating around."

"That's the plan." Al-Jilani cleared her throat slightly. "Now, we are told by officials that the Reapers have been rendered completely harmless. Is that correct?"

"They are harmless in the same instance that a loaded gun sitting on a table with no one to fire it is harmless. They are still perfectly capable of inflicting unspeakable destruction, as the Crucible did not render their weapon systems inoperable. What it did do is strip the Reapers of the will to harm without direction to do so. The Crucible turned the Citadel into a sort of Reaper control center, allowing whoever holds the station to control them directly."

"So, the Citadel Council is truly in full control of the Reaper Armada?"

"Yes."

"If this is the case, then why do they not command them to self destruct or fly into the nearest sun? Why not simply destroy them all?"

The fire flared in Al-Jilani's dark eyes. Dr. T'Soni sighed softly.

"The Reapers and their forces have been instrumental in the rebuilding of countless worlds. Truth be told the work we have done up to this point would have taken decades if not for the Reapers and their fleets. I fully understand the indignation that we would ask citizens to cooperate with the beings that not two years ago sought the total annihilation of every spacefarring civilization in the Milky Way. I see the anger, but you must understand that we are still reeling from the blow that we have been dealt. Over sixty percent of the known galaxy still lay in shambles and there are still worlds out there that are cut off from our aid. It will be years before we approach anything resembling what we had before the Reaper War. For the time being I, and by extension the Citadel Council, believe that the use of the Reaper Armada is our best chance at a speedy reconstruction process. To not use any and everything at our disposal to repair our galactic infrastructure as quickly as possible would be folly."

Al-Jilani frowned. "There are some who would say that its not worth it. That we can rescue our people and rebuild our home ourselves without the help of murdering machines."

"We can," Dr. T'Soni said. "but it might take weeks instead of days, years instead of months, centuries instead of decades. Many that are stranded on desolate worlds can't wait that long and I refuse to leave millions to die because of some misplaced sense of retribution. My feelings can come later, after our people are safe."

Al-Jilani shifted in her seat, eyes narrowing. "What about Indoctrination? One of the Reapers' most insidious traits was their ability to assume control over an organic's mind through a signal they and their technology emitted. We have been told that the Crucible disabled this signal. Is this correct?"

Dr. T'Soni nodded. "Yes, for if it wasn't, I and many others would have long sense been dead; gone to our graves as gibbering, emaciated shadows. The longest someone can be Indoctrinated and keep their mental faculties is about seven months. After this allotted time, Indoctrinated have only days left to live as their obsession with their Reaper masters begins to encompass every aspect of their being, causing them to stop seeking sustenance and shelter. We know there is no way around this process. Once a person is Indoctrinated death follows and I'm pretty sure that I am not dead."

Al-Jilani sat back, arching an eyebrow. "And you are fully certain of this? When the rogue Spectre Saren Arterius attacked the Citadel with an army of Geth and Sovereign in tow, I don't believe that the possibility that he could be being manipulated entered his mind. When Matriarch Benezia chose to follow-"

"Ms. Al-Jilani, I am fully aware of the circumstances surrounding my mother's Indoctrination and subsequent death, I was part of the team that executed her." Dr. T'Soni's eyes had gone cold, the warmth in them extinguished.

"I am sorry Dr. T'Soni, I spoke out of turn. I did not mean to-"

"It is fine. That memory has left a wound that more than likely will never heal. Let us continue on with the interview."

"Of course. What is the Council's standing on the Geth? The Geth are not only responsible for the destruction of multiple human colonies during the Eden Prime War, but a good number of them chose to side with the Reapers during the Reaper War. Should they not be destroyed? They are dangerous and unpredictable."

"Just like any other sentient being." Dr. T'Soni said with rueful smile. "The Geth's technological aid was paramount to the completion of the Crucible. Without their help, the Crucible would not have been constructed and we would have all been utterly eradicated, they have earned their keep. Besides, I seem to remember a certain pro-human group hellbent on helping the Reapers' in their systematic genocide."

Al-Jilani scrunched her face in distaste, struggling to keep a professional demeanor. "Before the Reaper War, A.I were outlawed, and for good reason! They're cold, unfeeling machines! They see us as insignificant insects, the Reapers are a testament to that! A.I inevitably turn on organics!"

"That is an untrue statement, Ms. Al-Jilani." Dr. T'Soni said in a dry tone. "The Systems Alliance employed the use of quantum blue box A.I, Infiltration Units, during the Reaper War. Each one of those A.I were treated like military personnel, i.e like a living being. None of the units went rogue. None of the units defected to the Reapers."

"That may just be the exception." Al-Jilani began. "The majority of the time A.I see organics as nothing but an irritant to be wiped away. How can you ask citizens to put their lives into the hands of unfeeling machines that have proven time and again to view them as nothing?"

Dr. T'Soni paused, closed her eyes. "I ask that the people trust the Citadel Council's judgment. As spread out and broken as our forces are at the moment, we simply have no choice."

Al-Jilani's mask of professionalism completely shattered, revealing a face beset with anger and confusion. "Have no choice? How could you say you have no choice, of course you have a choice!"

Dr. T'Soni opened her eyes. "That was a wrong choice of words. I believe that the Council is making the right decision on this matter. Without the Reapers' help, without the Geths' help, the galaxy will be in a state of disrepair for a long, long time. They are tireless, unrelenting. Sure, the Rachni have these traits, but machines even more so. We need their help. That is just a fact."

"Do you really believe that?" Al-Jilani asked, voice nearly a whisper. "Is that the type of galaxy we are destined to live in? Looking over our shoulders in constant fear of the infinitely powerful A.I that could erase our existence in an instant. Could you bring a child into that type of world, Dr. T'Soni?"

Dr. Liara T'Soni stared straight into Al-Jilani's dark, frightened eyes. "I already have, Ms. Al-Jilani. For the safety of the people, for the safety of my friends, for the safety of my child, for Hannah T'Soni Shepard, I trust in the Citadel Council's judgment implicitly."


End file.
